MUN marketing students say ad competition like a course in itself

Krystal Hobbs and Laura Francis didn’t win the cars, but they gained a wealth of experience.

The Memorial University marketing students pitched their GM SUV campaign to a panel of nearly two-dozen representatives from major Canadian companies on Tuesday.

The duo were among 10 finalists in a national marketing campaign with prizes of new cars, internships and $7,000 in scholarships up for grabs.

Hobbs said the team did well, even though they didn’t place, and she’s happy with how they did.

Non-disclosure agreements prevent them from sharing their marketing idea — they weren’t even allowed to watch other teams present — but she still feels the competition was worthwhile.

“It was probably the best networking event I’ve ever been to.

“A lot of times you’ll go to networking events or conferences as a student, and it’s very hard to talk to those people who are higher up in the industry, but we found that with the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec competition, the focus was on the top 10 student teams, and a lot of people would go out of their way to meet you, even if they were the CEO of a company or the vice-president, and that was definitely an interesting experience,” Hobbs said.

Francis said the competition was like a course in itself.

You’re taking bits and pieces of all the marketing knowledge and courses that you’ve done over five years, and you’re putting them on a real-life situation. Laura Francis, marketing student

“You’re taking bits and pieces of all the marketing knowledge and courses that you’ve done over five years, and you’re putting them on a real-life situation, and that was really good,” she said. “It refreshes your memory of things that you’ve done and you see how it applies in real life.”

Mondella Stacey, the manager of Stephenville’s Colemans grocery store, has been nominated for the Super Service Award from the Food Marketing Institute, and U.S.-based trade association of about 1,500 food retailers and wholesalers. Stacey has been nominated for her promotional work, including hosting “Bridal Nights” and customer-appreciation days. It’s her third nomination for the award, which will be announced April 30.

Worker’s compensation watchers: The Newfoundland and Labrador Employers’ Council makes its presentation to the statutory review committee Monday morning.

The council recently urged the provincial government to reform compensation legislation — Newfoundland and Labrador’s system is the most expensive in Canada.